WildApricot Payments (AffiniPay)

WildApricot Payments is powered by AffiniPay, a payment gateway that specializes in payment solutions for associations. AffiniPay/WildApricot Payments is fully PCI compliant.

Why choose WildApricot Payments?

There are several advantages to choosing WildApricot Payments over another payment processing system.

• No monthly fee
• Only 2.9% + $.30 per transaction (3.5% + $.30 per transaction when using American Express)
• Payments are transferred to your bank account within 48 hours
• Seamless checkout integration with your website
• Automatic renewal payments are supported
• Recurring donations (aka pre-authorized donations) are supported
• Integrated one-stop support for both WildApricot and WildApricot Payments 

Comparing to other payment processors

* 3.5% + $.30 per transaction when using American Express

Are there any limitations?

• Currently, only residents of Canada, the 50 US states, and Washington DC can apply for a WildApricot Payments account (US territories are excluded).
• Transactions have to be in US or Canadian dollars.
• Payments cannot be accepted from people resident in countries on the US Treasury Department's sanctions list.
• Your account is subject to daily and monthly transaction limits in order to prevent fraudulent transactions. If your account exceeds either of these limits, an error message will appear, notifiying you that the transaction limit has been exceeded. AffiniPay will automatically remove this limit after verifying the legitimacy of your transactions, usually the next day. Contact AffiniPay support if you need assistance with your transaction limits.

Paying using WildApricot Payments

When visitors to your site click the Pay online button to pay for membership, register for an event, or make a donation, they are directed to a secure WildApricot Payment screen to make the payment.

They can pay using any of the credit cards that you have enabled in your AffiniPay account settings. They can also pay using corresponding debit cards if their debit account is based in the United States.

On the payment screen, the payer can choose to save their credit or debit card details for future transactions.

The next time they purchase something from your site, they can choose to pay using any of their saved cards instead of entering the card details again.

For more information on the one-click checkout feature, click here.

After the payment is processed, the visitor is returned to the Invoices and payments tab on their member profile, where an invoice will appear, along with a payment entry, if the payment was successful.

Note: For security reasons, credit card information is not stored in WildApricot. Instead, it is securely transmitted to AffiniPay where it is processed. AffiniPay then returns the status of the payment transaction, which is what is recorded in your WildApricot transaction details.

Applying for a WildApricot Payments account

To begin accepting payments using WildApricot Payments, you need to apply for a WildApricot Payments account with AffiniPay.

To apply for a WildApricot Payments account, follow these steps:

1. Select Settings from the sidebar menu to display the Global settings screen.

2. Select Payment settings under Your account.

3. Select Fill in application form.

4. On the screen that appears, complete the application form. 

You'll need to provide your contact information and organization details. 

• US applicants will need to provide their organization's federal tax ID and bank account details, and the Social Security Number and driver's license of their organization's authorized signer or beneficial owner. (Arizona residents should enter any upcoming year for their license expiration year.) 
• US applicants will also have to indicate what percentage of the organization they own, unless it is a nonprofit organization. 
• Canadian applicants will need to provide the name, address, and identifying document number (driver's license or passport) for your organization's principal. 
• Canadian applicants will be contacted by email to obtain banking details, including 3 months of bank statements, a copy of photo ID, and the names of your board members. 
• For more information on the application process for Canadian clients, click here. 

All applicants are required to consent to share their personal information with AffiniPay to verify eligibility. 

5. Select Submit application form at the bottom of the screen.

Applications from American clients should be reviewed and approved within 1-2 business days. Applications from Canadian clients may take 7-10 business days. As part of the approval process, you may be asked for additional documentation, such as a copy of your photo ID.

If AffiniPay is unable to verify the details you provide, your application might be rejected. Factors that can contribute to your application being rejected include:

• Inconsistencies in the information provided (e.g. business name and address do not match)
• Business name can't be verified
• Tax ID number not registered

Once your WildApricot Payments account is approved, you'll receive a confirmation email from AffiniPay. US applicants will also receive a confirmation email from WildApricot. After you receive the email from AffiniPay, you can confirm your WillApricot Payments account and connect it to your WildApricot site.

Confirming your WildApricot Payments account

Before you can connect to your new WildApricot Payments account, you need to confirm it. 

To confirm your new account, follow these steps:

1. Within the AffiniPay confirmation email, click the Confirm My Account button.2. On the screen that appears, choose a password then select Finish. 

Now that you've confirmed your WildApricot Payments account, you can connect it to your WildApricot site using the instructions below.

Connecting to your WildApricot Payments account

To connect your WildApricot Payments account to your WildApricot site, follow these steps:

1. Select Settings from the admin sidebar menu. 
2. In Global settings, elect Payment settings under Your account.
3. From the Payment settings screen, click the Connect to WildApricot Payments button.
   
4. On the AffiniPay screen that appears, log into your WildApricot Payments account using the email address you entered when you applied for the account, and the password you chose when you confirmed the account.
5. You'll be returned to the Payment settings screen, where you can adjust various payment settings.
6. Click Save changes.

Connecting using an existing AffiniPay account

To connect an existing AffiniPay account to your WildApricot site, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Settings > Global settings and select Payment settings under Your account. 
2. Scroll down and click on the Connect with existing account button (under Do you already have an account?). If you're not seeing this button, but you do see a Switch now button at the top of the Payment settings screen, click the Switch now button then click the Connect with existing account button.  
3. On the AffiniPay screen that appears, log into your AffiniPay account using your email address and password.
4. You'll be returned to the Payment settings screen, where you can adjust various payment settings.
5. Click Save changes.

Switching from another payment system

If you've already set up another payment system to work with your WildApricot site, you can easily switch to WildApricot Payments.

Note: When you switch from another payment system to WildApricot Payments within your WildApricot account, you should reconfigure any previous automatic renewal payments and issue new invoices to your members so that they can create new automatic renewal payment profiles with WildApricot Payments.

1. Navigate to Settings > Global settings and select Payment settings under Your account.
2. Click Switch now at the top of the Payment settings screen.  
3. Click the Fill in application button. 
4. On the screen that appears, complete the application form. 
5. After you completed the application form, click the Submit application form at the bottom of the screen. Your application should be reviewed and approved within 1-2 business days. Once your WildApricot Payments account is approved, you'll receive a confirmation email from AffiniPay. 
6. Once you receive the confirmation email from AffiniPay, click the Confirm My Account button within the message.
7. On the screen that appears, choose a password then click Finish.
8. Return to the Payment settings screen by clicking the Settings menu then clicking Payment settings under Your account.
9. On the Payment settings screen, click the Edit button, in the top left corner.
10. Click the Payment system dropdown and choose WildApricot Payments / AffiniPay.
    
11. Click the Connect to account button that appears.
    
12. On the AffiniPay screen that appears, log into your AffiniPay account using your email address and password.
13. You'll be returned to the Payment settings screen, where you can adjust various payment settings. 
14. Click Save changes.

Payment settings

Account name

Allows you to switch between multiple WildApricot Payments accounts. For example, you might want to use a test account to verify your setup before switching to your live account.

However, instead of using a test account, we recommend that you test your WildApricot Payments setup using your live account but with test transactions of one cent. That way, you are testing your actual account, not a test account that might behave differently.

If you still want to set up a test account, you can request one by calling AffiniPay at 1-866-375-2635 or emailing them at wasupport@affinipay.com.

Default country

The default country you want to display to customers within the payment screen.

Currency

The currency you want to use in your transactions and reports. The currency you choose must match the currency selected in your AffiniPay account.

Important Note: Do not change the currency after recording any payments. If you change the currency, existing payment records will not be recalculated and will no longer display the correct amounts.

Payment instructions

You can enter payment instructions explaining how to use the online or offline payment methods. You can add different kinds of instructions to be displayed for different payment situations. For details, see Payment settings.

Automatic renewal payments

Automatic membership renewal payments are supported by WildApricot Payments/AffiniPay. For details, view Automatic renewal payments for members.

Recurring donations

Recurring donations are also supported by WildApricot Payments/AffiniPay. View our Recurring donations article for details.

Issuing refunds

Refunds cost $0.30 per transaction. This is a card validation network fee. If the payment is refunded earlier than 11:00pm CDT on the day it was received, then the payment transaction fee of 2.9% + $0.30 will not be applied, only the $0.30 refund fee. If the payment is refunded later than that, then the 2.9% + $0.30 payment transaction fee will be applied, in addition to the $0.30 refund fee.

Issuing a refund on a payment made via WildApricot/AffiniPay is a two-step process: 

1. Issue the refund in your WildApricot Payments/AffiniPay account

2. Record the refund in WildApricot manually

To issue the refund in your WildApricot Payments/AffiniPay account, log into the AffiniPay portal then follow the steps described here.

Once you have issued the refund in your WildApricot Payments/AffiniPay account, return to your WildApricot account and follow these steps to record the refund in WildApricot:

1. Open the payment record in question, either from a contact's financial transactions list or from the Payments & refunds screen within the Finances module.
2. If the payment is already settled, click the Cancel settlement button.
3. Now that your payment record has an available balance, you can proceed with the refund by clicking the Refund button.  
4. On the next screen, you can adjust the details of the refund, and record a custom payment type – the method by which the refund was issued.
5. When you are finished entering the refund details, click the Save button.  

The refund will be applied to the payment and the corresponding invoice will become unpaid. 

Using the AffiniPay portal

In Finances > Payments & refunds, you can view and export the details of the transactions processed through your WildApricot site.

To view all your AffiniPay transactions, including those processed outside your WildApricot site, you can access the AffiniPay portal at secure.affinipay.com. From there, you can also issue refunds and chargebacks, and reconcile your transactions with your bank account. 

For more information on using the AffiniPay portal, view the AffiniPay Support Center.

Frequently asked questions

Is the transaction fee of 2.9% + $0.30 charged in USD or CAD?

If you are a US-based client set up to use USD, then everything in your account is processed in USD, including the transaction fee. Similarly, if you’re in Canada and open an account that uses CAD, your transaction fee will be processed In CAD.

In other words, a Canadian client (whose AffiniPay account is in CAD) will be charged 2.9% + $0.30 CAD per transaction, and a U.S. client will be charged 2.9% + $0.30 USD per transaction.

How are the funds transferred to my bank account?

Funds are automatically transferred to your bank account as a lump sum at 11:00pm CDT each day after they have been successfully cleared. Funds require 24-48 hours to clear the Visa/Mastercard network.

Can I see a report of which transactions were included in this deposit?

Yes, you can run a Daily Deposit Report from your AffiniPay dashboard that lists all of the transactions that were included in a particular deposit.

Why am I being asked for personal information?

We ask for personal information (such as SSN) to confirm the identity of the person establishing the account. This is because we are required to verify who they are and how they are connected to the organization. This is meant to combat money laundering and organized crime. This does not involve a credit check and does not hold this person responsible for the account. 

For more information, please consult the U.S. Government's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

My application was rejected - why?

Your application can be rejected if we are not able to verify and confirm the details provided, such as:

• Inconsistencies in the information provided (e.g. business name and address do not match)
• Business name can't be verified
• Tax ID number not registered

Opening a WildApricot Payments/AffiniPay account is analogous to opening an online bank account, and underwriters will need to verify your identity in order to approve the account. If you think you made some mistakes on the application and want to re-submit with new details, feel free to contact AffiniPay directly.  

Can I accept payments from countries other than the US or Canada?

Yes, you can accept payments from other countries but the transaction has to be in US or Canadian dollars.

Can my members pay using debit cards?

WildApricot Payments/AffiniPay accepts debit cards issued by or co-branded by the credit card companies we support – VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and Amex. If the debit card says VISA, MasterCard, Discover, or Amex on it, we can accept it.

I see that AffiniPay offers different rates from yours. Why is yours different?

We’ve made a special arrangement with AffiniPay to offer a rate of 2.9% + $.30 per transaction. While AffiniPay does have other plans available, they often carry additional fees (e.g. monthly subscription fees), so opening an AffiniPay account through WildApricot still tends to get you the best deal. 

I already have an AffiniPay account. Can I still use it with WildApricot?

Yes, you can link your existing AffiniPay account to WildApricot.  

Who pays the 2.9% + $.30 transaction fee? 

As with other payment systems, you, the site owner, are responsible for any transaction fees that are incurred. Each month, AffiniPay tracks the number of transactions and payments you receive and then charges you the applicable fees on the second day of the month after it is deposited. 

Does AffiniPay send a separate payment receipt as well?

No, for WildApricot Payments only the WildApricot receipt will be sent. However, if you process a payment directly in AffiniPay (without going through WildApricot) then AffiniPay does send a receipt.

Can I cancel a payment?

AffiniPay offers the ability to “void” a payment the same day it is processed (until 12:00 AM EST). If a member enters the wrong amount or accidentally charges themself multiple times, you can void the payment and not get charged the 2.9% processing rate. However, once the money is batched out at midnight, the fees are incurred.

I see only batch deposits in my bank account. How can I see the details for each transaction?

Log into your AffiniPay portal at secure.affinipay.com then click the Reports option and run the daily, monthly, or transaction reports. To view full transaction details from WildApricot, click the appropriate transaction, or click the Show Payment Page Field button to view full details within the transaction list. 

When exporting your transactions, be sure to check the All Payment Page Fields option to include all details from WildApricot in the export file.

Will I receive statements showing all my transactions and fees?

A monthly statement of your transactions and fees is available online in your AffiniPay portal. You will find them under the Reports area on the Monthly Summary tab.

Why am I getting the error “Merchant transaction daily amount exceeded” when my members try to make a payment?

There is a daily (and monthly) limit set up on your account to prevent fraudulent transactions. If you receive this error message, AffiniPay will be automatically notified and will increase your limit after verifying the legitimacy of your transactions.